1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to containers for elongated flat articles such as milk filters used to remove impurities from milk as it is being produced. More particularly it is directed to such containers that may be used not only as cartons in which the filters are sold but also which may be used alone or in conjunction with dispensers for housing the carton and contents and dispensing the milk filters, preferably one-at-a-time. The dispensing container of the present invention will find other applications as well wherever it is desired to maintain stacks of flat articles and conveniently dispense them end-wise one-at-a-time.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Milk filters are generally formed as elongated flat articles either in the form of a tube or a sock wherein the tube is closed at one end. A filter coil is inserted into a filter, and the milk is pumped from the outside through the filter fabric, forced through from the inside of the coil and directed through tubing or the like for further processing. The filter fabric removes impurities or other undesirable contaminants. These filters are generally elongated and have dimensions in the range, for example, of from about six to thirty-six inches in length and two to five inches in width and frequently formed of nonwoven material in a flat configuration. Such filters are well known and described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,180 to Zylka and Witte dated Sept. 29, 1981. In use the filters are changed as infrequently as twice per day but, depending upon the size of the dairy, multiple milking machines may be required. Also, if a filter should break, it must be replaced promptly to avoid further contamination. Accordingly, dairies maintain a supply of milk filters on hand, and they must be available for ready access. Since these filters are used singularly per milking machine, it is most convenient for them to be dispensed one-at-a-time.
Milk filters are available conventionally as stacks containing up to about one or two hundred or more individual filters. These stacks are supplied in a carton or wrapper that can be placed within a permanent container of metal or the like located convenient to the milking machine. This container may be positioned to maintain the stack flat on one of its major surfaces, but, more commonly, it is arranged so that the filters are disposed end-wise and dispensed by pulling a filter through an opening in the bottom or bottom front corner of the permanent container which may be affixed to the wall or other convenient surface. However, in order to avoid contamination of the filters within the container the dispensing opening is desirably small and may be closed when dispensing is not needed. Particularly when the stack has been substantially depleted, this has made such end-wise dispensing difficult since it is then necessary to reach into the container to grasp the next filter. Therefore, there remains desired a carton or dispensing means for milk filters that improves accessibility to the filters particularly when the stack of filters is partially or substantially depleted. Also, since the filters may become contaminated if prematurely removed from the dispenser, it is desirable to provide for one-at-a-time dispensing of the filters, and improvements in dispensing cartons or containers that would facilitate such one-at-a-time dispensing.